Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 6

UPTIME

Curiosity: It's Fundamental
To Reliability Improvement

Bob Williamson
Contributing Editor

H

ave you ever wondered why something
is the way it is? Why is the sky blue?
Why does it rain so much (or not
enough)? Why don't "they" understand
maintenance?
Consider small children asking "why" again
and again and again (often to the dismay of
weary parents or caregivers). Those little ones
are simply being curious, and for good reason.
Curiosity is how humans learn-including in our
work lives.

cur-i-os-it-y:

A strong desire to know or learn something.
Think about your plant: Is curiosity thriving
there, or is it being stifled?
Frequently, we see what occurred and,
sometimes, how it occurred. But how often do
our second natures kick in and compel us to
explore why something occurred (the cause)?
Unfortunately, the real "why" may not be
observable-it could be hidden. Consequently,

it's not uncommon for individual and/or implied
organizational responses to run along the lines
of "it always does that" or "I don't really know."
Being able to answer "why" questions depends on
the curiosity of personnel. I am convinced that
being curious is the fundamental ingredient in
reliability improvement.
In today's workplaces, though, curiosity alone
isn't enough. It takes motivation to be curious
(motivation to dig deeper into issues). All too
often, the motivation (or available time) to ask
"why" is insufficient for getting to the root cause
of a problem, which, accordingly, is the first step
in problem elimination.

mo-ti-va-tion:

Internal and external factors that stimulate
desire and energy in people to be continually
interested and committed to a job, role, or
subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal.
Let's explore these elements of a reliabilityimprovement work culture.

Reliability and curiosity
Usually, the first response in a
plant when equipment breaks
down is "fix it." The typical first
question is "What happened?"
followed by "How do we fix it?"
Only when we ask how and why
equipment fails, do we actually
begin solving the main problem.
(NOTE: It's not unheard of
for a "what" question to elicit
this type of implausible response

Is curiosity thriving or being stifled at
your site? The answer is important.

6|

MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

JULY 2017



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology July 2017

Editorial
Uptime
On The Floor
Powering Auto Production
Following The North Star
Flying Inspections
Untangle Compressed Air Misconceptions
Change Your Lubrication Mindset
HMI-Design Essentials For Today's SCADA Systems
SAP: Tips and Tricks
Cybersecurity Best Practices
Bearing Storage
Interpreting IP Code
Noisy Pumps
Move From Time- to Condition-Based Lubrication
CMMS Energizes Maintenance Efforts
Products
Ad Index
Showcase
Final Thought
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 1
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Cover1
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Cover2
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 1
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 2
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 3
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Editorial
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 5
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Uptime
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 7
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - On The Floor
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 9
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Powering Auto Production
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 11
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 12
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 13
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 14
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Following The North Star
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 16
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 17
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Flying Inspections
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 19
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 20
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 21
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Untangle Compressed Air Misconceptions
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 23
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 24
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Change Your Lubrication Mindset
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 26
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - HMI-Design Essentials For Today's SCADA Systems
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 28
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 29
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - SAP: Tips and Tricks
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Cybersecurity Best Practices
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Bearing Storage
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Interpreting IP Code
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Noisy Pumps
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Move From Time- to Condition-Based Lubrication
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 36
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 37
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 38
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - CMMS Energizes Maintenance Efforts
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 40
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 41
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Products
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 43
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 44
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - 45
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Ad Index
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Showcase
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Final Thought
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Cover3
Maintenance Technology July 2017 - Cover4
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